Pretty interesting. Have to say I agree. You're either an adult at 18 or you aren't. There really aren't many lives saved by the 21 drinking age, the amount of deaths is just delayed by three years. Most people are either responsible when it comes to driving or stupid. Just how it is.

For those of you too lazy to read the article, they basically say that it encourages binge drinking. Interesting debate, I want to see what happens with this. It's not secret that I am a huge opponent to MADD. The idea I support fully, but there's a reason the founder left the organization and say that they've lost their direction.

Deseal im 100% with you and your opposition with madd. Their direction has definitely changed from drunk driving prevention to neo probation. Not a fan of any special interest groups and madd is at the top of my most resented. The only rationalization ive ever been able to make of why we shouldn’t have the drinking age at 18 is that the brain and body is still developing – and drinking may hinder that. And I guess with trans fat cooking oil not allowed in some cities, prevalent smoking bans in non government owed establishments, and windfall taxes on excessive profits you can say restrictions on drinking falls in line with current thinking.

It would be awesome if they lowered the age back down again. Not letting an adult be an adult until 21 is stupid. I mean, I just don't get it. You're old enough to get drafted. Old enough to sign your life away and fight terrorist, but your not old enough to kick back a few cold ones in a bar.............makes no freakin sense!

Great thread. The drinking age is dumb being set at 21. My friend has a Germany Au Pair and she and her other Germany friends are probably the most mature drinkers I know. To them it is part of life not some taboo thing that they can't do until they turn 21. They are are in the 18 to 21 age range.

Plus I hate MADD also, to me .08 is the dumbest number for DUI. Basically I can have one beer when I go out, other wise I run the potentially of having my entire life turned upside down if I get caught. Because some people decide to get wasted and go out and kill people, we all have to suffer. People that do that are going out regardless of the law they will keep doing it until they are in jail or dead.

BTW- If you live in NoVa and you go to bars and night clubs it is not if you going to get a DUI it is when. NoVa cops are nazis for DUI's. Basically when I lived there when I went out I had Diet Cokes. One time when I had one Miller Lite at Shadey Tree as soon as I started my car up the flashing lights came on. I passed everything but they were waiting.

I think that their real goal is to relieve them from having to inforce underage drinking rules which I'm sure takes up allot of time. It does not surprise me one bit but I just don't see how bindge drinking and at what age you can drink have anything in common.

Funny you say that because the govt. got sick of inforcing it as well on their campus (San Diego Naval Base). Navy guys/gals on that base can drink at the age of 18.

I think that their real goal is to relieve them from having to inforce underage drinking rules which I'm sure takes up allot of time. It does not surprise me one bit but I just don't see how bindge drinking and at what age you can drink have anything in common.

Can you blame them? I mean how do you or can you effectively stop college kids from drinking?

Firstdown, you really think lowering the drinking age would keep people from getting it? First of all, if you want alcohol -- it's very easy to get. First of all, fake IDs look very realistic and are easy/cheap to get. Secondly, find a friend/brother/bum most people will buy it anyways. In HS, some of my friends got a Costco account on a fake ID. He never had to be carded again, and could buy beer whenever.

Firstdown -- part of the reason for the drinking age is so that High School seniors can drink. While they're still under their parents supervision and have some rules, unlike in college when they're on their own.

I have traveled a lot and can say that, outside of the middle east, the US has the strictest drinking laws in the world. What possible reason can exist for maintaining the current drinking age is seriously beyond me.

I'll never forgot the time I went to a bar in college, scanned my ID on their new high tech machine, and saw a picture of me half-asleep and wasted come up on the screen. I had a tanktop on and was holding a huge untouched beer. I had no idea where they had gotten it! That's when I knew we had gone too far in our war against 20 year old drinking.